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Things to do this week in NYC Aug 25-Sep 1: Music

Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae, or the classics ? New York City venues feature music from all cultures. Whether you're catching an aria at Lincoln Center, or checking out a band at Central Park Summerstage, NYC has a gig you won't want to miss.

Spanning seven venues, the 2012 Mostly Mozart Festival will offer more than 37 events including concerts, dance, visual art, film, pre-concert recitals, late-night performances, lectures, and bird-watching tours through Central Park, a special accompaniment to this summer's birdsong theme. Mostly Mozart Festival 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of Louis Langree as Renee and Robert Belfer Music Director. He will lead nine concerts with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra in Avery Fisher Hall, including a FREE preview on July 28. The two thematic highlights of the Festival this year will be a multi-genre exploration on the influence of birdsong on composers and visual artists, complemented by an extensive survey of the music of Schubert.

The son of renowned jazz musician Abdul Wadud, R&B singer-songwriter Raheem DeVaughn grew up in Maryland and cut his teeth performing in clubs throughout Washington, D.C. After several indie releases, which he sold on the streets and at his shows, the crooner signed with Jive Records and dropped The Love Experience, his slept-on 2005 debut. DeVaughn broke through commercially with 2008's Love Behind the Melody, which earned him two Grammy nods, two BET J Awards for Best Male R&B Artist and Album of the Year, as well as a prime slot on tour with Jill Scott. The disc featured the smash hits "Woman" and "Customer."

Everything about singer-songwriter Jay Brannan's young career is improbable. Defying legions of critics both personal and professional, he has managed to build a shockingly dedicated following in a very non-traditional way. Urged to stick to society's conventions during his Southern upbringing, Brannan has become a lightning rod for castaways by simply being himself: a neurotic and inspiring mess. A New Yorker by way of Texas, California, and several stops in between, he first made headlines as an actor in John Cameron Mitchell's 2006 indie film sensation Shortbus, offering an international platform for his first full-length musical release Goddamned (2008), which made its debut as the No. 25 overall Top Album on iTunes.

Founded solely on passion for the music, Groove Buffet has become one of the best classic R&B, Motown, and soul acts on the East Coast. The band captures the true spirit of what this music is all about, motivating people to get up and dance to each and every song it performs. Paying homage to soul legends, Groove Buffet has an extensive song library from which it crafts each show's set list, providing an entire night of material featuring the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Al Green, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, and many more.

Martha Wash is a music legend, spanning genres from pop and dance to R&B, and is responsible for some of the most celebrated music to ever hit the airwaves. With a career lasting more than three decades and including two Grammy nominations, she is no stranger to No. 1 hits, as the voice behind tracks like "It's Raining Men," "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," and "Carry On." Wash has truly done it all. She has performed for President and Mrs. Clinton at the White House and has appeared at international venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Moscow's Red Square, and many more. She's received the Keys to the City of Miami Beach , and both Washington, D.C., and San Francisco have declared Martha Wash Day in her honor.

A singer-songwriter who accompanies himself on piano, James began writing the songs on his second album after winding up a year and a half on the road in support of his debut album The Day is Brave, which was released by Decca Records in June 2008 and debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Several of its songs were featured on various television shows including Private Practice, Bones, So You Think You Can Dance, and Army Wives. After releasing the album, James hit the ground running to support it from coast to coast. "I went to 40 states, ate at 330 restaurants, stayed in 210 hotels, and slept on one boat - John Mayer's Mayercraft Cruise; I know because I wrote it all down," James says with a laugh. The 18-month tour enabled James (whom Entertainment Weekly has called "a songwriter on the rise") to build his fanbase the way many successful musicians have done before him: one room at a time, and he shares the fruits of that journey - renewed vigor, musical maturity, and even a new sound - on his second album.

Martha Wash is a music legend, spanning genres from pop and dance to R&B, and is responsible for some of the most celebrated music to ever hit the airwaves. With a career lasting more than three decades and including two Grammy nominations, she is no stranger to No. 1 hits, as the voice behind tracks like "It's Raining Men," "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," and "Carry On."

DTTB's latest album The Main Ingredients came out in 2011. The disc takes the band back to its original roots, with 10 tracks still steeped in groove but with a heavy dose of 21st-century glaze. As the title suggests, The Main Ingredients amalgamates all the base ingredients that got the band from Wade's early concept to the massive success it is today, yet purposefully sprinkled with some surprise spices to keep the sides interesting, funky, and on the edge. In all, the project is a funk and groove feast sure to invigorate the taste buds of all who crave music that makes you move.

Jerry Gonzalez has taken a global view of jazz in creating his unique brand of improvised music. While his trumpet and flugelhorn reflect the influence of Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, his personal cultural roots have given him a natural understanding of Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Tonight's show is part of the Amateur Night at the Apollo's grand salute to Harlem Week 2012. A special music guest will perform in celebration of this month-long community event.
Winners of recent Amateur Night shows come together to SHOW OFF their talent and compete for the chance to move on to the Top Dog semi-finals on September 5, and maybe even win the title of Super Top Dog and a cash prize of $10,000!
Aspiring musicians, singers, dancers, comedians, rappers and spoken word artists try their best to please the audiences that can make them an Apollo legend. Then get ready to cheer or jeer as you decide who stays and who gets booted off stage. At Amateur Night, you tell the performers to be good or be gone!
Amateur Night at the Apollo is hosted by the comedian Capone. Each show begins with a festive pre-party featuring video and music by DJ Jess. And keep a lookout for master impressionist C.P. Lacey, the resident Executioner who sweeps bad talent off the stage.

Sheila E. is a multi-faceted drummer, percussionist, vocalist, songwriter, performer, arranger, producer, composer, instrumentalist and humanitarian. Touring with Prince more than once, Sheila's successful careers lead to her many amazing things such as performing at the 35th Annual Academy Awards. Her gifts have brought joy on the world and have made her one of today's brightest talents, and she continues to be one of our most treasured stars.

A native of New Jersey, self-taught blues musician Junior Mack has been playing guitar since the age of nine. An opportunity to play for the late Pops Staples early in his career, and the encouraging reaction from both Pops and Mavis Staples, was the first in a chain of events that drove him to present his interpretation of the blues to a wider audience. Since then, Mack has developed the stage presence of a seasoned performer, lulling, mesmerizing, and reeling the audience into a groove all his own. His soulful interpretation of the blues never fails to captivate.

Broadway Underground: The Remix is a spin-off of the original stage show featuring an extended version of the famous "open session." Audience members share their talent on the dance floor as host Jared Grimes and the Broadway Underground house band bring you great live music, dancing, and comedy.

The Moth presents the GrandSLAM XXVI, a battle of wits and words - fierce, hilarious, heartbreaking, and all points between. The Moth is dedicated to finding intriguing people to tell inspired stories. With its StorySLAM shows, The Moth seeks to accommodate all the people who ask, "When can I tell my story?" and to encourage those people who doubted they had a story worth telling. StorySLAM provides a stage and a microphone, a theme to inspire and shape the evening, a lively and supportive audience, and a host to guide the festivities. Stories are limited to five minutes, and ten stories are heard. In tonight's GrandSLAM, using words as weapons, winners of previous StorySLAMs battle it out to become The Moth's GrandSLAM Story Champion.

Presented as part of The Met's fourth annual Summer HD Festival, Karita Mattila gives a tour de force performance as the title heroine of Strauss' powerful drama, based on Oscar Wilde's play. Juha Uusitalo is Jochanaan in the Met's striking production, conducted by Patrick Summers. Approximate time, 106 minutes.

Moscow 57 Under the Tracks is a summer Pop-Up series that brings together light bites and live entertainment in a New York City oasis: The Urban Garden Center.
Guest Artists:
Kevin Nathaniel - percussionist extraordinaire, mbira virtuoso, and world music pioneer. www.mbirasanctuary.com
Amanda Khiri
http://www.amandakhiri.com/
Ellen Kaye with the Moscow 57 Band

DEAD CAN DANCE will be bringing their World Tour to The Beacon Theatre on August 29th & 30th at 8PM.
This will be one of the first live shows since their hugely successful sold out tour in 2005, and Dead Can Dance will visit 4 continents over an 8 month period in 2012 and 2013.

Considering some of the voices they've heard, Times Scare knows Karaoke can be pretty scary. But just wait until sultry Mistress of the Night, Shequida, gets on stage to host Scaryoke live in the crypt every Friday night. Frightfully delicious sing-along fun where you can win special Scaryoke prizes! Sign up at 9pm, show begins at 10pm.

THE DRIFTWOODS -
The Driftwoods are the East Coast's original Beach Boys tribute band. Since the mid-'60s, their legendary vocal harmonies and rock n' roll rhythms have entertained legions of fans, from the casual listener to the veteran rock musician. The Driftwoods have ruled the Rhode Island music scene since their inception, performing on the beaches in Rhode Island, at high school and college dances, on local TV shows, and in numerous battle of the bands contests. In a two-year period, The Driftwoods won 11 of these contests.
THE JERSEY FOUR -
A few years ago, Anthony Newell and Joseph Cilento decided to put together a Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons tribute group. They recruited some of the best musicians and vocalists throughout New Jersey to form the cast of The Jersey Four.

Tonight's show will be a no-holds-barred dueling piano performance - the ultimate party where you can sing, dance, and laugh along to your heart's content. The piano masters performing tonight (including Mark Weiser, the all-time champion of Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics) seldom get a request they can't handle - from Bill Haley to Billy Joel, and from Bon Jovi to Britney Spears, there's something for everyone among the duo's repertoire of thousands of hit songs. This show is a great place to bring a party, as the duo will give special shout-outs to those celebrating an occasion.

You've seen regular machine karaoke, now experience karaoke on the next level with you being backed by a 4-piece live-band! For 8 years and counting, Crash Course Karaoke has rocked out with some of New York City's brightest talent, including the casual karaoke singer who's ready to live out their inner rock star.

It's one of the lost classics of the '60s, a psychedelic masterpiece drenched in color and inspired by life, love, poverty, rebellion. The album is Cold Fact, and the artist is Rodriguez, Detroit's answer to Dylan. Although Rodriguez released Cold Fact in 1970, the album sank without trace, thanks in part to some of his more idiosyncratic behavior, like performing at an industry showcase with his back to the audience throughout. When the follow-up, 1972's Coming From Reality, also sold poorly, Rodriguez called an end to his recording career. He'd never even played a proper gig. And he got on with life. Over the years, he turned his hand to local politics, gaining a degree in philosophy, and eventually undertook factory work and manual labor.

As New York's premier Eagles tribute band, Desert Highway has quickly made a name for itself as the best Eagles tribute band around. Despite the fact that the band has only been together for less than three years, it have gained a reputation as the most accurate-sounding Eagles tribute band in the country. This band's renditions of Eagles classics have been recognized by leaders in the industry like Jack Tempchin (composer of "Peaceful Easy Feeling") and have received praise throughout North America and Europe.

The Minions of Gozer know Ghostbusters. And they wanna show it to you. But first, hold this marshmallow. Got it? Great! Taking their cue from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the Minions of Gozer is Ghostbusters like you've never seen it before. Out of a deep reverence that could only be called fanlove, this group of die-hard Ghostbusters fans have decided to put on a midnight screening of the best movie ever made, in NYC where it belongs, complete with prizes, giveaways, and the very first ever live Ghostbusters shadowcast.

In its fourth year, New York's Electric Zoo will again be held over Labor Day Weekend on Randall's Island. The festival will include dozens of of the biggest names in electronica including Steve Aoki, Skrillex, Benny Benassi, David Guetta, Tiesto and many more. Ferries travel to and from Randall's Island Park for all three days of the festival throughout the day. Departures will take place from East 35th Street Ferry Landing located at the intersection of East 35th Street at the FDR Drive, with ferries running approximately every 15 minutes.